After 16 months, Assembly back at Fort St. George

Inaugural day of the 14th Legislative Assembly held

The inaugural day of the 14th Legislative Assembly on Monday marked the return of the State legislature to Fort St. George after a gap of 16 months.

The last time the legislature met at the historic Assembly Chamber was on January 11, 2010, after which the Assembly met at the new Secretariat-Assembly complex on Omandurar Government Estate.

The sittings of the legislature had taken place at the Fort for 75 years in three broad spells (1921-1937, 1946-1952 and 1957-2010).

When Rajaji became Premier of the Madras Presidency in 1937, the legislature met for five months at the Senate House, Chepauk, from July 1937 to December 1937.

The period between January 1938 and October 1939 saw the legislature having its meetings at Banqueting Hall (Rajaji Hall), Government Estate. The legislature went back to Fort St. George in May 1946 and held its sittings till March 1952. Between May 1952 and December 1956, the Children's Theatre, later known as Kalaivanar Arangam, housed the Assembly.

Fort St. George again became the venue of the legislature from April 1957 till January 2010.

In April 1959, the Assembly met at Aranmoore Palace, Udhagamandalam, for 10 days. The Legislative Council too had its sittings at the same place for five days in May 1959.